Marketing mistakes that can sink a deal — and how to fix them
Consumers judge agents long before they ever make contact. Find out what it is about your headshot, email, website and more that could be driving clients away.
Key points:
- Since consumers are typically introduced to an agent’s online profile before they meet in person, it’s critical to make a positive digital impression.
- Issues with agent headshots, social media posts and even email signatures can raise red flags for potential clients.
- The good news? These mistakes are easy to avoid and simple to fix — and making the effort will put you ahead of the pack.
The direction of your business depends on decisions you make every day. Agents Decoded can help you by presenting the perspectives of seasoned pros who have been there, made mistakes, and found success.
A homeowner recently told me that she hired an agent for one reason: "She looked like the only one who had her act together."
It wasn't because of her CMA, her brokerage or her sales volume. It was because her headshot, website, reviews and email signature looked current and professional. And other agents? "They just looked messy," the homeowner said.
That was the moment it clicked: Service still matters, but presentation now decides who gets the meeting. Before clients ever even meet you, they decide whether you're worth hearing out based entirely on your digital-first impression.
Your brand shows up before you do
Clients meet your brand, face, website, email signature, social feeds and online footprint first. Whether you like it or not, these elements are quietly telling people who you are and how you operate.
If your materials are sloppy, clients assume you're sloppy. If your info is outdated, they assume your expertise is outdated. If your digital presence feels chaotic, they assume your business is too.
Your marketing doesn't need to be perfect, but it absolutely cannot be a liability. The upside? Many marketing problems are easy to fix — and you'll have a very real competitive advantage if you do.
Let's walk through the most common marketing missteps — and how to avoid or fix them.
The headshot hall of shame
No one expects agents to look like they're starring in a luxury fragrance campaign. But the baseline standard needs to be somewhere above "taken on a 2006 flip phone."
The biggest offenders are everywhere:
Steering wheel selfies, cropped wedding photos and cluttered backgrounds
Heavy filters and duck lips
The 20-years-ago version of yourself, back when interest rates were 6% … the first time
Headshots that feel outdated or unpolished signal that you may still be doing business the old way. A headshot is a trust signal — small but mighty. When it looks sloppy or stale, clients fill in the blanks.
How to fix it: Get professional photos taken if you can. If not, use soft natural light, a clean background and a current look. No sunglasses, no dashboards, no glamour shots. Aim for approachable, confident, current.
Email signature crime scenes
Clients spend more time reading your emails than anything else you create, so they notice your signature more than you think. When it screams chaos, they don't think, "Wow, lots of credentials!" They think, "Is this what my listing marketing will look like?"
Some examples of email signature clutter that I've seen: multiple fonts in multiple colors, generic motivational quotes, too many social icons (with half leading to abandoned pages), phone numbers that aren't click-to-call and lengthy disclaimers.
How to fix it: Keep it clean. Include your name, title, phone number, email, website and one logo. Make the phone number clickable. Compress your images. And if you insist on adding a quote, make sure it sounds like you — not like inspirational wallpaper.
Websites that feel abandoned
A shocking number of agent websites radiate "last updated during the pandemic sourdough craze" energy.
Common red flags include:
A blog section without any recent posts, and/or team pages with agents who left years ago
Broken links, broken images, broken trust — and contact forms that don't actually deliver
Bios clearly written by ChatGPT using stiff third-person language
To consumers, a neglected website is a loud warning. This is the front door of your business. If it's dusty, disorganized or confusing, they assume your service is the same.
How to fix it: Do a quarterly audit. Start with mobile, where most browsing occurs. Verify every link, every form, every page. Update bios. Remove old agents. Delete fossilized blog posts masquerading as "resources."
Social media: The silent deal killer
Clients absolutely check your social media before calling you. They're not just looking at your listings — they're evaluating tone, judgment and whether you seem like someone they'd trust with a six-figure transaction.
Things that might give a client pause include: Political rants, TikToks clearly chasing trends, caption spelling errors, tirades about buyers and sellers, and oversharing medical updates.
This isn't about sanitizing your personality. It's about showing judgment.
How to fix it: If you wouldn't say something during a listing presentation, don't post it publicly. Move personal content behind privacy settings if needed.
Bios that make you sound like everyone else
The agent bio might be the most neglected piece of the marketing puzzle. Most bios land in one of two predictable categories:
1. The autobiography: This version features your life story, your childhood dreams, your dog and even your favorite latte. The problem? It's missing an explanation for why someone should hire you.
2. The buzzword blizzard: This version portrays a passionate, dedicated, client-focused agent providing exceptional service with integrity. The problem? Nothing here differentiates you from 1.6 million others.
How to fix it: Keep your bio short and specific by spelling out who you serve, where you work, what you're great at, why that matters and what makes you memorable. Skip the clichés and the fluff.
Reviews covered in dust
Online reviews are the new word of mouth. Yet many agent review pages feature mismatched contact information and testimonials that are either old or read like they were written by early-generation AI.
Clients will naturally ask, "If this agent isn't updating reviews, are they even closing deals?"
How to fix it: Choose one main review platform and tend to it. You don't need a giant pile of reviews. You need recent, authentic, consistent ones.
A messy 'digital listing appointment'
Agents obsess over listing appointments, but the real first impression happens earlier: at your digital listing appointment, when a potential client Googles you or clicks through your social media profiles.
Do this once a quarter:
Google yourself (images too)
Check your website on mobile, review your headshot and bio, and verify that every link works (and while you're at it, check the links in your email signature)
Scroll through your last 30 days of social media posts and double-check all links
Look at your reviews as a client would
The bottom line
Marketing isn't vanity — it's competency signaling. Your digital presence is your handshake, your elevator pitch, your storefront and your brand promise all wrapped together.
Agents who clean up their digital presence — even just a little — stand out immediately. In a world where consumers judge first and hire later, you can't out-work bad marketing — but you can absolutely fix it.
Jay Thompson is a former real estate agent, broker-owner and industry outreach director. He is currently an industry consultant and sits on several boards. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author.